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Alfred Ezra—Breeding Records



BREEDING RECORDS


THE MADAGASCAR WEAVER


(Foudia madagascarensis)


By Alfred Ezra


I have always longed to breed this very beautiful weaver, but hens

were difficult to get. I was lucky enough to get a few of these birds

from our well-known collector, Mr. Frost, a couple of years ago and

some of them turned out to be hens. Some were turned out in one of

my large aviaries, they have always done well. A nest was made of grass

only and was pear-shaped, with a large entrance hole on the side.

The top of a Cupressus was chosen for the nest. By the 17th May

four eggs were laid. Three young were hatched out by the 28th May.

The fourth egg was infertile. All the young left the nest on the 15th June.

They are almost identical with the female but are a trifle smaller and

darker in colour. The young were reared on flies caught by the hen

bird on the wire of the aviary and a few mealworms. Although the

parent birds had access to mixed seed, insectivorous food, and fruit,

they were never seen to be eating any of them. On the 20th June, two

of the young were seen eating seed and one was seen eating insectivorous

food on the 21st. I am very pleased to have bred this beautiful bird,

especially as hardly any of them come over nowadays. I do not believe

this pretty Weaver has been bred in Great Britain before.



THE MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD


(Sialia corrucoides)


Last year Mr. Delacour imported a few of these lovely Bluebirds,

and kindly gave me two pairs. I consider them the prettiest of all

the Bluebirds I have seen—the cock being all blue of a beautiful

shade. I turned out a pair in each of my small aviaries, but last year

they did not attempt to nest. This spring I gave them numerous

nest-boxes of different shapes, pans, and a laurel bush to choose from,



